Love Shock in Hakone Hot Springs!
by NeuroticSquirrel
Summary: What if the aspiring artist in Episode 78 had chosen Kenshin as his true beauty instead of Kaoru? Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Sano groaned as he leaned against his broom. Why was he always stuck with the worst work? For that matter why was he stuck with any work at all?  
  
Kenshin of all people had lost all Kaoru's money. It might not have been so bad, but they had discovered that fact with the Hakone hotel manager in the room after they had just devoured a huge expensive meal. The look on Kaoru's face when she discovered the redhead had lost her money was enough to send a man running for the hills. Sano's lips quirked as he remembered how Kenshin's sheepish grin and nervous laughter had only made things worse.  
  
Thank the gods that the hotel happened to be understaffed. He didn't think the manager really wanted to hire them, but their enthusiasm won him over. Misao's in particular since she was used to working in a restaurant.  
  
She had been put to work in the kitchen. Yahiko, Kaoru, and Kenshin were put to work as waiters and busboys. They were given the extra staff uniforms, light green long-sleeved robes with a white apron tied around the middle with a maroon ribbon.  
  
Sano couldn't help but stare at Kenshin when he came out of a changing room, dressed to work. Although small, his hakama had always made him seem somewhat imposing. That robe emphasized his slimness and made him look almost delicate, despite the battle scar on his cheek. The light green of the robe only served to highlight the red of his long hair and the violet of his eyes. One couldn't help but stare at him. The samurai had shifted uncomfortably under the others' appraisal, uneasily picking at his sleeves. He didn't relax until Kaoru interrupted the moment by shoving a broom at Sano and declaring it time to work.  
  
For the first time, Sano, who was not prone to noting men, noticed how beautiful Kenshin was.  
  
He, being the least savory and polite of the bunch, was given the grunt work. He hated it. Aggravated, he began to push the broom again.  
  
***  
  
Ryuzaburo crumpled his sketch with frustration and tossed it to join the rest of the paper balls scattered about his room.  
  
"No, no, no. that's not what I want," he muttered to himself, fumbling for another piece of paper. He chewed on his pencil. "What am I missing?"  
  
He was interrupted from his reverie by a sound at his door.  
  
"Excuse us sir," a server said. "Your dinner is ready"  
  
"I've already eaten," Ryuzaburo said, turning to the door, eager to be rid of the distraction. His eyes widened and he froze. "Y-you're."  
  
The servers didn't seem to notice his surprise.  
  
"This is the wrong wing, isn't it?"  
  
"Oops." The redhead turned to the artist staring at him with his mouth open and gave him an apologetic smile. "Gomen nasai!"  
  
The door slid shut with a click  
  
"Chotto!"  
  
He scrambled to his feet, and flung the door open.  
  
"Wait please!"  
  
He looked up and down the hall. They were gone.  
  
"That might. that might be the one."  
  
***  
  
"Ah, this is great!" Yahiko stretched his arms out and leaned back in the steaming bath.  
  
Sano agreed wholeheartedly. The day had been hard, but after work, the manager agreed to let them stay the night and make use of the hot springs.  
  
"I thought we were in deep shit back there Kenshin," Sano said, reflectively, thinking of the moment they had found out they were broke.  
  
"I had given up all hope." Kenshin agreed.  
  
Yahiko was in high spirits now that the day was over.  
  
"Now we get to make a little money and then return to Tokyo," he said happily.  
  
Kenshin still looked a bit guilty.  
  
"I'm really sorry I screwed up, de gozaru."  
  
"Don't be sorry!" Sano exclaimed, cheerful now that he was full and clean.  
  
Yahiko joined in, genki as ever. "Remember we're the Kenshin Gumi!"  
  
***  
  
The outdoor baths were divided into male and female sections by a thin wall. On the female side, Misao and Kaoru sank into the steaming water.  
  
"Melting into a hot spring after a hard days work is the best," Misao sighed. "This is paradise!"  
  
"Gomen ne Misao-chan. If I had held on to the money, we would have never been in this mess," said Kaoru.  
  
"Oh, that's ok." Misao turned to her with a playful wink. "Although you do seem to trust Kenshin with an awful lot of personal things."  
  
Kaoru shrunk into the water, her face flushed.  
  
"You misunderstand, Misao-chan, Kenshin and I have nothing!"  
  
Misao leaned back and sighed. "That's kinda what I thought. He doesn't seem so good with stuff like that. I don't think he has any interest in women."  
  
Kaoru suddenly had bug eyes.  
  
"It wouldn't matter anyway. There's a huge age difference between you two. What if he's already in love with someone else? I wonder if he has an old flame somewhere."  
  
Kaoru twitched. Misao prattled on, oblivious.  
  
"Did you see Sanosuke staring at him when he came out in the green robe? Of course, Saitou stares at him a lot, too. He might just want to kill him or something, but I don't see why he has to stare that much."  
  
Kaoru attempted to speak and failed. Misao suddenly looked up, body tense.  
  
"Someone's watching us!"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
With righteous rage and ninja strength, Misao, towel clutched to her chest, stood up and flung a wooden bucket at the dark figure in the trees.  
  
***  
  
Ryuzaburo wandered the hotel grounds in a daze, his sketchbook clasped as his side. He gazed at the stars and thought.  
  
/I've found you my ultimate beauty. A vision more beautiful than the heavens themselves. I've finally found you!/  
  
He closed his eyes and bowed his head.  
  
/The answer I've been searching for./  
  
Turning around, his eyes widened as he saw a hint of red in the steaming springs. He gasped. He must grasp this opportunity while he still had it.  
  
He climbed a tree stealthily as he could and flipped open his sketchbook and drew with delight. At last, art!  
  
Unfortunately, he did not conceal himself as well as he should and was shortly struck unconscious by a bucket to the head.  
  
***  
  
Later, in their room, Sanosuke glared at the man kneeled before them.  
  
"What perverted tastes you have," he said with a sneer.  
  
Misao was incensed. She slammed her foot on the floor.  
  
"This guy deserves to die!"  
  
"P-please wait a moment. I'm not a pervert!"  
  
"Then who are you?" Sanosuke demanded.  
  
Ryuzaburo bowed his head in shame, knowing full well what this looked like. "I'm studying Western art in Tokyo. My name is Higashiyama Ryuzaburo."  
  
"So you're a student, de gozaru?"  
  
"I've been struggling to answer the question of what art really is... Trying to find that answer, I decided to go on a quest. But I hadn't found the answer and I just let time pass, and now, all my confidence is gone."  
  
He raised his head, eyes filled with fervor.  
  
"However, it came to me in that first moment I saw the this person. What art is for me would be to paint the most beautiful thing, and I mean a true beauty."  
  
Ryuzaburo fairly shook with enthusiasm. His eyes burned with passion.  
  
The group just looked at him with confusion.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"A true beauty?"  
  
"I don't get it at all, de gozaru."  
  
"I'm lost."  
  
Sanosuke raised his hand, one finger pointing upwards. "I bet you found a real time babe, right?"  
  
"Even though my vision was taking a bath, I couldn't resist. I really wanted to draw in my sketchbook and."  
  
Yahiko spoke slowly, comprehension dawning. "Taking a bath. You mean?"  
  
Attention turned immediately to the two women who both blushed and began to preen. As they both babbled modestly, Sano, Yahiko and Kenshin peered into the book.  
  
"Kenshin." Yahiko started slowly.  
  
"Isn't that you?" Sano finished.  
  
Identical sweatdrops appeared on the women in mid-preen.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
Both women rushed to look in the sketchbook. There, on the page, was a charcoal sketch of Himura Kenshin. It was obviously a rough draft, but it was beautiful. Kenshin's hair was damp and he was looking to the side with a small mysterious smile on his face.  
  
Ryuzaburo was unconscious of the women's indignation. He gazed up at Kenshin intently.  
  
"Please Kenshin-san. Because of my quest, I must draw you no matter what." Still in his kneeling position he bowed down in supplication. "Be my model please!"  
  
Kenshin stared at him, violet eyes wide with shock, cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.  
  
"Oh I don't think so, de gozaru."  
  
"No- " Ryuzaburo began to protest, but the others all began to speak at once.  
  
"You heard him," declared Misao, obviously jealous but trying valiantly to hide it.  
  
"You were still peeking in the baths," said Kaoru, in the same predicament as Misao but infinitely more embarrassed about it.  
  
"That's right," Yahiko said, always ready to leap to his idol's defense.  
  
"He's not modeling for a pervert like you!" Sano would never leave a pretty friend in the clutches of some disgusting hentai, no matter how strong his pretty friend happened to be.  
  
"I'll pay you handsomely," Ryuzaburo pleaded desperately. "You won't have to wait tables to pay your bills anymore!"  
  
Kenshin appeared to hesitate.  
  
". I don't mind waiting tables."  
  
"Lay off, you perv!"  
  
"I'm not a pervert!"  
  
He turned to Kenshin and spoke to him earnestly. "Please. I'm sorry about the baths incident. I swear it will never happen again. Please, I've been searching for you for so long!"  
  
Kenshin wavered.  
  
"I only want to make art."  
  
Kenshin decided.  
  
"Very well. I will model for you de gozaru."  
  
"KENSHIN!"  
  
Four voices raised in indignation.  
  
"You can't do that!"  
  
"Kenshin, you don't even know this person!"  
  
Kenshin raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Maa, maa, don't worry about it. I'm only going to let him draw me."  
  
Sano glared at the ecstatic artist. He reached down and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and lifted him to eye level with him.  
  
"I swear, if you get any funny ideas about having Kenshin take his clothes off for you or anything like that, I will tear out your liver and feed it to you."  
  
Ryuzaburo nodded wide-eyed.  
  
"I intend to draw only the most tasteful of images, I swear!"  
  
***  
  
TBC 


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I know nothing about art. The process used probably isn't a process used by anyone, but it's convenient for the story.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The next morning was beautiful. Everyone was already working as the sun rose.  
  
"We have more guests arriving. Please finish in here," Miss Tami, in charge of the maid service, told the four working in a recently vacated room as she walked down the hall.  
  
"While we're working like hell, Kenshin gets to play hooky," griped Yahiko as he and Misao worked on cleaning the floor.  
  
"Kenshin isn't playing hooky," Kaoru said absently as she scrubbed a tabletop.  
  
"She's right," Misao agreed. "Higashiyama-san had him up ages ago. He was really anxious to get to work on his art."  
  
Sano growled.  
  
"The minute we're off work, we better go check on them. I still don't trust that pervert." Yahiko looked up from his work wide eyed.  
  
"You don't think he'll try anything, do you?"  
  
Misao laughed. "I'm sure Himura of all people can take care of himself."  
  
Sano frowned. "I don't know. He just seems so innocent about this kind of thing."  
  
Yahiko looked confused. "What kind of thing?"  
  
The awkward silence stretched until everyone hurriedly finished up what they were doing and fled the room.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
***  
  
Kenshin stood uneasily in Ryuzaburo's room, wondering if maybe he should have listened to Sano after all as the artist stared at him hungrily.  
  
"Um. What would you like me to do," he asked tentatively.  
  
The artist jumped into action.  
  
"It's best that you are as comfortable as possible; I'll want you to stay in one position for a long time. How about lying on the bed?"  
  
Kenshin stared at him wide eyed.  
  
"No, you may not be comfortable like that. Sano-san probably wouldn't be too happy either."  
  
The redhead visibly relaxed.  
  
"This chair is very nice. Hmmm, where should I put you? Here, out on the patio? Sit down."  
  
He took a few steps back looking at Kenshin critically.  
  
"Yes, that spot's perfect. Now lean back. Don't get stiff you'll be all uncomfortable. That's good. Are you comfortable?"  
  
"Yes. This is a nice chair, de gozaru."  
  
"I'm glad!"  
  
Ryuzaburo sketched for several hours, starting a few, then setting them aside. He explained he would use the best for oil paintings later.  
  
After a long period of silence, Ryuzaburo tentatively spoke up.  
  
"Kenshin-san?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I know I promised Sano-san not to get you to take your clothes off or anything, but could you do me one small favor?"  
  
Kenshin stiffened. /Sano was right! This guy *is* a pervert, de gozaru. I never should have agreed to this./  
  
"Can you take off your hair band?"  
  
Kenshin blinked.  
  
"My. hair band?"  
  
"I'm sorry! I made you uncomfortable. Please forget about. Let me draw you still. Oh no, please don't tell Sano-san! He'll kill me!"  
  
"No, no, calm down. It's OK. I don't mind, and he probably won't either, de gozaru," Kenshin assured the fearful artist. He reached behind him and undid the navy tie that held his hair in his usual low ponytail. His hair fell down to frame his face. He looked at the artist uncertainly. "Is this better?"  
  
Ryuzaburo looked at him with reverence.  
  
"Excellent!"  
  
He immediately started on a new page.  
  
***  
  
Sano, true to his word, hurried to see Kenshin as soon as he was off work. With Yahiko right next to him, he slunk into the room nervously, half expecting to see Kenshin tied up in some dark corner while the artist cackled madly, waving his paintbrushes around.  
  
Instead the room was quiet. Ryuzaburo stood in the middle of the room, paintbrushes out, concentrating deeply on the rapidly filling canvas in front of him. And Kenshin.  
  
Misao and Kaoru who had followed him into the room made quiet little aw noises. Even Yahiko looked slightly touched.  
  
Kenshin sat out in the patio in the fading daylight. Sometime during the day, he had curled up and fallen asleep on the cushioned chair. He was curled on his left side with his head on his hands, scar obscured, and strands of his released hair on his face. His face was relaxed and carefree as a child's.  
  
"Kawaii," Misao breathed. Sano had to agree. Kenshin was adorable.  
  
Kenshin, perhaps sensing the arrival of his visitors, stirred a little, making sleepy noises. Then he suddenly bolted upright, violet eyes wide and alert.  
  
"Gomen nasai Ryuzaburo-dono! I didn't mean to fall asleep!"  
  
Ryuzaburo shook his head. "That's alright. You are very still when you sleep."  
  
Kenshin looked mortified.  
  
"Still, I should have stayed awake, de gozaru. You are paying me."  
  
"No, no this was fine. We're actually done for the day, but I didn't want to wake you. Same time tomorrow?"  
  
*** The next day Sano quit working. He had already made enough to pay for his continued stay with a tiny bit of extra coin left over and wasn't interested in doing grunt work any longer. He could always use the extra to make more cash gambling. Misao, Kaoru, and Yahiko opted to stay longer since the manager was happy with them and they could use the extra money. They really didn't have any place to be anytime soon.  
  
That day, Sano stuck around Ryuzaburo's room, still not completely trusting the little perv. He saw the artist's gradual change throughout the day. As Kenshin posed unmindful in the chair on the patio, Ryuzaburo grew more and more agitated as the day drew on, ripping paper off his sketchpad, and furiously starting anew.  
  
At the end of the day, the rest of their party crowded into the room, requesting to see the work that had been done.  
  
Misao peered at the sketch still on the easel.  
  
"It's awesome! It's drawn just like Himura."  
  
Kenshin was sitting in the chair against the blue sky. His head was bent upwards and he appeared to be looking at the clouds above him, eyes wide and thoughtful.  
  
"He says that it's still a rough sketch, de gozaru. He's still in the middle of the process," Kenshin told her.  
  
"You aren't so bad," Sano told Ryuzaburo grudgingly. "You're not such a pervert after all."  
  
Ryuzaburo had been silent through their appraisal. He sat in front of the easel, head down and eyes shadowed.  
  
"This is not Kenshin-san..."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"It's only a shell." He lifted his head to reveal burning eyes. "This isn't even close to the real Kenshin-san!"  
  
He shredded the picture before him and lunged for his sketchbook, murder in his eyes. Sano grabbed his arm and stopped him. He had seen the sketches in that book and thought they were wonderful.  
  
"What the hell are you doing," he demanded.  
  
"Yeah, you drew that so well!" Misao said indignantly.  
  
Sano could feel the artist shake with emotion. He released his arm and Ryuzaburo fell to the ground dramatically. He gestured to the picture.  
  
"This might display Kenshin-san on the surface. However, the picture doesn't capture any of his emotion!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Right now I'm not able to capture those feelings." He shook with passion. "It's. It's because of. I-I've fallen in love with Kenshin-san!"  
  
This declaration led to shock all around. Kenshin looked at him, frozen in one place.  
  
Sano spoke slowly. "You're in love with Kenshin?"  
  
"Yes. Since I've been drawing Kenshin-san, I wanted to know more and more about him. It's true, I'm totally smitten with love."  
  
He lifted his heart and gazed at Kenshin with adoration.  
  
"However, these emotions block my direction as an artist."  
  
"Your feelings," Kaoru started uncertainly, looking extremely uncomfortable with the whole situation.  
  
Ryuzaburo didn't let her continue. He looked at Kenshin wildly.  
  
"Kenshin-san please, let me court you. I'll be able to capture your feelings one day. When that time comes, my life as an artist will be complete!"  
  
"Court me?"  
  
"Sano was right! This guy is a pervert! He's a man!" Kaoru practically shrieked.  
  
"Kaoru, don't let that be the only reason," Misao said sensibly. "Shiro and Kuro of the Oniwa Banshu have been together for years. This sort of thing was very common among samurai who fight together for long periods of time."  
  
She grinned.  
  
"In fact, I've heard some wild stories about the Ishin Shishi during the revolution.  
  
All eyes turned to a nervous Kenshin. He fidgeted.  
  
"I was still very young.they mostly left me alone. I've never ever actually participated in any. acts, de gozaru."  
  
Yahiko looked confused.  
  
"What acts? What's going on?"  
  
There was an awkward silence and Kaoru wordlessly took a protesting Yahiko by the ear and led him out of the room.  
  
More awkward silence.  
  
Ryuzaburo broke it by lunging at Kenshin.  
  
"Let me love you please!"  
  
"Oro!"  
  
Kenshin ducked and Ryuzaburo went crashing into the wall.  
  
"Please!"  
  
"Sorry, but no. I don't think I should model for you anymore, de gozaru."  
  
Kenshin had his hands up and was backing towards the door, more nervous than Sano had ever seen him in battle. Kenshin was never good at taking any sort of proposition.  
  
Ryuzaburo noticed him edging toward the door and moved quickly.  
  
"No, please, don't lea-oomph."  
  
He hit the door that slammed shut in his face.  
  
TBC 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Misao was extremely amused by this turn in events. Homosexuality wasn't a big deal to her; she had grown up with the Oniwa Banshu after all. Almost all the members were in or had been at one time or the other in a gay or lesbian relationship.  
  
The artist looked at the door, stricken.  
  
"He doesn't want me," he whispered, heartbroken.  
  
He stood up, rushed to the window which overlooked the water and began to jump out. Sano grabbed him.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"I would rather be dead than have to give Kenshin-san up!"  
  
Sano rolled his eyes, completely unsympathetic. "Baka!! If you wanna die, then die, but do it after we've left!"  
  
He threw him back into room. Ryuzaburo smashed into his art supplies.  
  
"As a man, you shouldn't take death lightly," Sano told him.  
  
"Sano-san," the artist looked up, eyes wild and face now streaked with paint. "I'm really, really serious."  
  
He jumped up and in a flash was face to face with Sano. Sano jumped back in surprise. "Sano-san, I respect you as a man! Please give me guidance!"  
  
Misao grinned from the middle of the room.  
  
"Because you're a real man, you can't let him down right?" she said impishly. "Why not just help him out?"  
  
Sano was suddenly glaring in her face.  
  
"Don't you try to make things worse," he hissed. "I hate getting involved in this crap! Kenshin, obviously doesn't want him; I don't want him to want him or him to want him to want him to want him or any wanting whatsoever."  
  
'But, you have to tell him something."  
  
Sano froze, lost in thought. Then he slowly smiled. He turned back to the artist.  
  
"Well Ryuzaburo, because of your great passion, I don't mind giving you a hand."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"There is one obstacle you must overcome to woo Kenshin."  
  
"One obstacle?"  
  
Sano solemnly handed him the wooden sword Yahiko had left behind.  
  
"There is only one way to win Kenshin. You must defeat him in battle before he will even consider you!"  
  
Ryuzaburo looked at the sword dubiously.  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Serious as death."  
  
"But I don't want to hurt him."  
  
Sano turned his back on him.  
  
"Fine, then just forget about it."  
  
"No, wait a moment. I'll do it! Certainly I won't have to hurt him too badly to defeat him. And, once I win him, he's sure to forgive me. "  
  
"Of course he will. Now I want you to understand. Give it your all, but if you don't defeat him, you must give up. Got it?"  
  
"I understand, Sano-san." He gripped the wooden sword resolutely. "I shall take good care of him."  
  
Sano turned and winked at a shocked Misao.  
  
"Oh, one thing I completely forgot to mention," he said offhandedly. "Kenshin may look scrawny, but he's the Hitokiri Battousai from the end of the dynasty that scared even the Shinsen Gumi, got me?  
  
The wooden sword clattered on the ground and the artist's expression suddenly became impossible to read.  
  
"Well don't go getting killed over this, you hear," Sano said as he headed towards the door.  
  
Misao, valiantly attempting to stifle her giggles, followed close behind.  
  
"Because he is the Hitokiri Battousai, you know," she said sweetly.  
  
They fled the room and laughed hysterically once they were no longer in earshot.  
  
They met up with Yahiko who had just escaped Kaoru's clutches in the wooded area behind the inn. They told him what they had done to the artist and laughed some more.  
  
"It was hilarious. When he heard the words, Hitokiri Battousai, he nearly pissed in his pants," Misao said.  
  
Sano snickered. "I hope he got the message."  
  
Yahiko looked less than amused.  
  
"You let him use my sword for something so stupid?"  
  
"Sorry about that. I'm sure he'll come running back with it soon," Sano assured him.  
  
"He's right."  
  
They froze when they heard rustling behind them. They turned to see said sword moving quickly to the bushes.  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
The sword moving in the direction Kenshin had fled.  
  
"He can't be."  
  
".going after Himura."  
  
Sano and Misao spoke together. Swiftly, they followed him.  
  
Kenshin was chatting with the manager on the path to the springs. Ryuzaburo crept up on him with more stealth than one would expect from a mere artist. Kenshin appeared completely ignorant of the threat behind him.  
  
"Oh no," Sano moaned.  
  
Ryuzaburo raised his sword for a knock out blow.  
  
He tripped over a rock when he lunged forward, rolled down the hill, and hit a stream with a splash. He surfaced looking slightly dazed and saw the sword floating away from him. With a cry, he went swimming after it, disappearing downstream.  
  
The three of them breathed identical sighs of relief.  
  
"Oh, thank god."  
  
"Thought we were in deep shit there for a moment."  
  
"My poor sword."  
  
***  
  
Kenshin, divested of his alternative means of acquiring funds to pay off his hotel bills, had gone back serving at the hotel. The manager welcomed him back with open arms. During the short time he had worked there, he had become very popular among the staff and customers. He was unaware of the many traps being prepared to defeat him.  
  
Ryuzaburo was an obsessive man, but not a completely stupid one. He wanted Kenshin, but knew he would never win a fair fight against the Battousai. Therefore, a surprise attack was the only way to go.  
  
Early that morning the head cook discovered they had run out of good firewood. Kenshin was sent to the forest to get some good blocks.  
  
He brought the ax down, splitting yet another block in two. He sighed and wiped some sweat from his brow.  
  
"Sessha better get this done quickly so I can help prepare breakfast. I ought to pick up my pace a little."  
  
Kenshin sometimes talked to himself. It was one of those little quirks one picks up from wandering alone too long.  
  
He set up another log.  
  
Unbeknownst to Kenshin, Ryuzaburo was hidden behind a bush near him. He was trembling in anticipation, waiting for his moment.  
  
Kenshin lifted his ax.  
  
/Here it goes!/  
  
He lunged out sword raised high. /I'm so sorry it has to be this way beloved./  
  
Kenshin brought the ax down. Hard. The two halves went flying. One hit him hard in the face. Ryuzaburo and Yahiko's sword went flying backwards, landing again obscured behind the bushes.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
Kenshin turned around.  
  
"Thought I heard something."  
  
There was nothing there.  
  
"Must have been my imagination, de gozaru."  
  
He turned and chopped some more.  
  
Sano watched merrily from afar.  
  
***  
  
"Hmmm."  
  
At lunch the next day, Kenshin carried stacks of hot food up the stairs, again clad in the staff uniform.  
  
Kenshin paused at the top of the stairs and looked back and forth.  
  
"Where would the Yuri room be?" he asked himself, pausing long enough for a figure hidden in the shadows behind him to gain confidence and lung forward with a familiar wooden sword.  
  
"Ken-san, this way," a feminine voice called from down the hall.  
  
Kenshin moved from the stairs at exactly the right moment.  
  
"This way?"  
  
He paused and started to turn around when he heard a crash come from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Ken-san, hurry."  
  
"I'm coming."  
  
He hurried down the hall.  
  
***  
  
Saitou was on vacation. He hadn't been on vacation for so long, he wasn't sure what he was expected to do. He supposed he should just relax. He decided to spend his days off in Hakone. That little town never failed to be quiet and he had a house there near in an inn with palatable food.  
  
He had just finished off his lunch in the downstairs area when he saw a familiar looking redhead move from the kitchen doors to the stairs. His face was obscured by the food he carried on stackable trays, but his hair was tied back with the same navy ribbon in the same low ponytail. Saitou blinked. Surely that was not the Battousai he just saw working as a common server at an inn?  
  
Only moments after the redhead disappeared up the stairs, a man with a wooden sword and a sketchbook came crashing down.  
  
Saitou moved to where he lay and loomed over him. The man didn't even appear to notice him at first. Despite himself, Saitou was impressed. There were very few people who could become so fanatical to not notice a man as tall as himself looming over them. And he was very good at looming.  
  
***  
  
Lost in thought, unaware of the tall samurai looming over him and the fact that he was lying on the ground, Ryuzaburo began to talk to himself.  
  
"I must have Himura Kenshin!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
Ryuzaburo yelped and nearly jumped out of his skin when he looked up and saw the tall dark-hair stranger standing over him.  
  
"What are your interests in the Battousai?"  
  
Instead of cowering in fear as he usually would have done with a tall, muscular, possibly homicidal stranger who was asking casually about the Hitokiri Battousai and very good at looming above him, the artist became enflamed by passion with the thought of his work.  
  
"He is a true beauty. He is the one I have been searching for."  
  
"But didn't you just attack him?"  
  
"I do not want to hurt him. But the only way anyone can have that beauty is to defeat him in battle."  
  
***  
  
Saitou was genuinely bemused.  
  
"You are aware he is the Hitokiri Battousai?"  
  
"Of course. It does not matter."  
  
"Idiot. A weakling like you has no chance."  
  
"No! I have been on a quest for true art for too long to just give up now. I will have him or I will die trying!"  
  
Saitou raised an eyebrow, amused by his zeal.  
  
"Art?"  
  
Ryuzaburo nodded eagerly.  
  
"Let me show you."  
  
He flipped open his sketchbook and handed it to Saitou.  
  
Saitou looked through it, studying each page in turn. The book was filled with nothing but images of Kenshin. Kenshin sitting looking straight ahead of him uncomfortably, Kenshin looking out of the page and smiling at the viewer, Kenshin looking to the side and laughing at something only he could see, Kenshin looking at the sky thoughtfully, and. sleeping Kenshin, curled up on cushions with his hair loose and strands everywhere, innocent and alluring at the same time.  
  
As Saitou examined the sketches, Ryuzaburo prattled on. "By drawing him like this, I could not help but fall in love with him."  
  
He looked at Saitou earnestly.  
  
"Imagine the art I could make if he would be my lover."  
  
Saitou resisted the undignified urge to snort.  
  
He looked back down at the picture of sleeping Kenshin with interest. He couldn't resist.  
  
"I will pay you for this one," he said, thrusting a few bills at the surprised artist.  
  
"But."  
  
Saitou gave him one of his most terrifying smiles.  
  
"I will pay you for this one."  
  
"O-ok."  
  
He took the sketch out of the book.  
  
"Don't tell anyone about this."  
  
"H-hai."  
  
Saitou walked away from the cowering artist, intending to return home for now. However, he had every intention of returning for dinner.  
  
This vacation was going better than he thought it would.  
  
***  
  
TBC 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: As most of you can tell, I know nothing about how they serve people in Meiji Japan, so I'm pretty much make it up as I go along.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Unfortunately, on his way out, he ran into Sano. The moron was immediately on the defensive, like Saitou didn't have better things to do than track him down and beat him up.  
  
"What are you doing here," the aho demanded.  
  
He gave him a disinterested glance.  
  
"On vacation."  
  
Sano scoffed.  
  
"You expect me to believe that? You better stay the hell away from Kenshin!"  
  
Saitou chuckled. He leaned close to Sano, speaking to him in a dangerous whisper.  
  
"Trust me, when I go after the Battousai, there will be nothing you can do to stop me."  
  
He leaned back again.  
  
"However, I am really on vacation. Police officers get those."  
  
At that moment, sounds of a crash emanated from the hotel behind them. A familiar voice rang out.  
  
"I LOVE YOU!"  
  
"ORO!"  
  
"LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU PERVERT!"  
  
"AHHHHH!"  
  
"I wonder where that idiot got his crazy idea," Saitou mused aloud.  
  
He did not miss Sano's wince and sheepish look.  
  
"Moron."  
  
Sano was defensive again.  
  
"How was I to know the bastard would be that desperate to make Kenshin his boyfriend? Anyway, I don't want to take any crap from you. I had to tell Kenshin and Kaoru the second day this was going on. I think he might actually be mad at me. I was worried at first, but that guy has absolutely no skill whatsoever. He hasn't even come close to touching Kenshin. This has been going on for a while, now. I'm sure he'll give up soon."  
  
Saitou frowned. He had seen the fanatical gleam in the artist's eye.  
  
"I highly doubt it."  
  
He turned and headed to spend the day reading until dinner.  
  
***  
  
Saitou chose to rent a room that night. It was his vacation and he was not lacking funds so he could spend it wherever he wanted.  
  
Saitou studied the sketch before him. Kenshin looked so peaceful sleeping. He was interrupted from his reverie by a sound at the door. Quickly, he put the sketch away.  
  
The server slid open the door.  
  
"Excuse me sir. Your dinner is ready," With a pleasant smile on his face, Kenshin entered the room carrying a tray. He froze when he saw whom it was. "Saitou?"  
  
Surprise made Kenshin's eyes widen and mouth open slightly. He was again dressed in the hotel staff uniform, a green robe that emphasized his slimness and made him look much less imposing than he did with his hakama.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
Kenshin was wary. Saitou didn't really blame him. Whenever they were together, bad things tended to happen.  
  
"Everyone needs a vacation," Saitou responded calmly.  
  
Kenshin seemed to take that at face value.  
  
"You did order dinner?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Kenshin kneeled next to him and set down his dinner, pulling clean chopsticks from his apron and setting it on the tray.  
  
"Why are you working here?"  
  
"I need to pay off my hotel bills, de gozaru," Kenshin replied absently, pouring Saitou his tea.  
  
"Certainly you could have paid them off by now."  
  
Kenshin graced him with a sheepish smile, placing the teapot back on the tray and sitting back on his feet.  
  
"I kind of like it here, de gozaru. It's relatively peaceful and the others don't seem to mind sticking around."  
  
The door suddenly burst open. Ryuzaburo sprung in.  
  
"Beloved!! Please forgive me, but I must do this so we can be together and I can bring true art to this godforsaken world!"  
  
He lunged at Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin dropped, grabbed at the artist's feet as he went sailing above him and flung him out a conveniently open window.  
  
Kenshin looked at Saitou apologetically.  
  
"Sorry about that," he said as he closed the window, muffling the sounds of pain drifting up from below.  
  
"What an idiot."  
  
"He's not that bad, de gozaru," Kenshin protested. "He's just a bit. overly zealous about his art.  
  
"If a person were to defeat you, would you allow them to court you?"  
  
Kenshin turned a bit pink.  
  
"Sano made that up. He thought he was helping."  
  
Saitou pressed the matter.  
  
"Would you?"  
  
". I suppose so. I mean, I wouldn't just jump into bed with them right away because they defeated me. That would just be wrong, de gozaru." Kenshin thought for a moment. "If the person defeated me and declared his intentions, why not?" He smiled a small smile. "I guess it would be kind of sweet in a really twisted way, de gozaru."  
  
Kenshin stood up and dusted his green robe off briskly.  
  
"Well, do you have everything you need?"  
  
Saitou nodded.  
  
"That's good, de gozaru. Someone will be back to pick up your dishes later."  
  
Saitou watched him go with a strange gleam in his eyes.  
  
***  
  
Tonight was the night, Ryuzaburo decided. Tonight was the night he would have his beloved and at last complete his quest.  
  
He had watched the redhead from the shadows all day. He knew that the dirtiest tactics were in order. He would wait until the evening when Kenshin was sure to be tired from a hard day's work.  
  
He smiled when he heard them send Kenshin for a quick trip up the mountain for the night's dinner. The mountain path Kenshin would follow would be virtually deserted at this time. Here was his chance.  
  
***  
  
Yahiko, Misao, and Kaoru no longer worked for the hotel, having made more than enough to pay off their hotel bills and live comfortably for a while. They tried to persuade Kenshin to quit, but he brushed them off. It seemed working like a normal person made him happy and who were they to begrudge him his happiness? They didn't have anywhere to go anyway so they stayed with him for now, hoping he'd tire of the job and return home with them soon.  
  
They lounged on the patio of the room they had rented for themselves.  
  
"I can't believe you put that man up to this," Kaoru berated Sano.  
  
"I already apologized! Besides, we don't have anything to worry about, he has no skills."  
  
Misao agreed.  
  
"Even if he practiced for a century, he wouldn't be able to defeat Himura."  
  
"I still worry. What if, I don't know, he gets a lucky shot or something?"  
  
"Kenshin will be fine. I'll bet Ryuzaburo has already given up by now."  
  
"They sent Kenshin up to the mountains to pick up the night's dinner. He'll be all alone!"  
  
"He can handle himself. Besides, like I said, the guy has probably given up by now. He hasn't attacked all day. I'm glad. I almost feel sorry for him now; he's that pathetic."  
  
"I guess, you're right. It has been awhile."  
  
"I just want my sword back!"  
  
Saitou, who just happened to be near enough to eavesdrop, quietly slipped away.  
  
***  
  
Kenshin chose to carry his sakabatou with him up the mountain. He thought he could handle Ryuzaburo without it, but better safe than sorry. Although he hadn't been attacked all day, perhaps the artist had given up.  
  
He turned at the sound of rustling.  
  
"DARLING!"  
  
Or perhaps not.  
  
His eyes widened as he saw Ryuzaburo fly at him. Literally fly. What was going on? Kenshin hit the ground and rolled away as the artist flew past. The man had a rope attached to his back!  
  
He prepared himself to knock the man down and out when he came swinging back.  
  
"I do this for love and art!" the artist sang out as he raised the wooden sword and came hurtling back to Kenshin.  
  
It was a huge shock for Kenshin when he never made it. A tall figure stepped in front of him and blocked his path.  
  
Ryuzaburo let out a cry of alarm as his rope was quickly cut and he went flying off into the bushes.  
  
Uncertain of the taller man's motives, Kenshin smiled gratefully at Saitou.  
  
"Ariga-"  
  
Without preamble, Saitou turned and ruthlessly attacked him.  
  
Kenshin quickly had his sword out, but he was still terribly off guard. Saitou took merciless advantage.  
  
In seconds, Saitou had knocked his sword away from him. Shortly after, he was relinquished of his hilt.  
  
Disarmed, Kenshin didn't stand a chance. He relied heavily on those two weapons in his encounters with Saitou, not having the advantage of size or strength.  
  
Kenshin was soon pressed up against a tree, Saitou's right hand pressing his shoulder into the bark, left holding a sword to his exposed neck.  
  
Kenshin looked at him with shock.  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Do you agree that I have defeated you in battle?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Saitou pressed the sword closer to his throat. Silly Battousai. He was hardly in a position to be asking questions.  
  
"Do you agree that I have defeated you in battle?"  
  
A drop of blood welled up on his throat. Kenshin looked confused by the question.  
  
"Of course, you have, I'm pressed up against this tree with a sword to my throat. Why are-mmmf."  
  
Saitou dropped his sword and gripped both Kenshin's shoulders, bringing his lips to his. Kenshin's eyes widened and then closed as the kiss continued.  
  
Saitou brought a hand up to caress the long red hair and pulled out the navy tie, dropping it carelessly to the ground. The kiss was long, and when he pulled away, Kenshin was gasping for air. He moved down and set about leaving a mark on the pale neck, Kenshin too dazed to protest. Slender hands mindlessly clutched at his shirt.  
  
Pleased with the mark he left for the world to see, he gave Kenshin one last parting kiss and pulled away, disentangling clinging hands from his shirt.  
  
"What was that?" Kenshin gasped out, dizzily leaning on the tree for support, his hair loose, lips swollen and mark forming on his neck.  
  
Saitou smiled, straightening his shirt.  
  
"Just declaring my intentions. See you."  
  
Kenshin put his hand to his lips and watched him walk away.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile a figure watched from the bushes, mind awhirl.  
  
/Dammit, I NEVER win. What are they doing? Wow./  
  
Suddenly he could easily imagine Kenshin, in various state of undress, moaning and sighing in pleasure. Kenshin ravished.  
  
/At last, I have found the answer to my quest!/  
  
The End (or is it?) 


End file.
